Chery Aims to Become British Brand as Jaecoo 7 Sales Surge Chery Automobile chairman Yin Tongyue outlines plans to design and manufacture vehicles in the UK as the Jaecoo 7 becomes the nation's second best-selling new car in 2026. Chery Automobile has achieved a remarkable milestone in the United Kingdom automotive market, with the Jaecoo 7 SUV becoming the second best-selling new car in the country during 2026. More than 40,000 units of the vehicle, which has been dubbed the 'Temu Range Rover' by the British press due to its stylistic similarities to the Range Rover Velar and its significantly lower price point, have been delivered to British customers so far this year. This commercial success has positioned the Chinese parent company to announce a strategic expansion of its local footprint, aiming to establish deeper operational roots within the UK economy. Chery Ambitions for British Design and ProductionChery Automobile chairman Yin Tongyue has explicitly stated the company's long-term goal to 'be a British brand' through comprehensive local integration. Speaking at a recent roundtable conference with automotive publications including Auto Express, Mr Yin declared his intention to have future products designed in the UK, engineered in the UK, and produced in the UK for worldwide distribution. This vision signals a shift from mere importation to full-scale localization, seeking to align the company's manufacturing identity with British industrial standards while serving global markets from a UK base.Investment in R&D and Parts Supply InfrastructureTo support this ambitious localization strategy, Chery is accelerating the development of a dedicated research and development centre in Bedfordshire. This facility, located at the UTAC Millbrook proving ground, is expected to open imminently and will focus on tuning Chery vehicles specifically for British roads and driver preferences. Gary Lan, the CEO of Chery International UK, described the Bedfordshire project as 'the next step in our long-term plan for the UK,' noting that the company waited over 20 years for the right moment to enter this market with ambitions far exceeding simple vehicle sales.In addition to engineering capabilities, the company has addressed previous consumer complaints regarding service delays by launching a nationwide Super Parts Hub network. This infrastructure comprises eight regional distribution centres dedicated to supplying genuine Jaecoo and Omoda components. The move is designed to streamline repair processes and ensure that owners of the rapidly growing fleet of Chery-branded vehicles in Britain receive timely maintenance and support, thereby enhancing brand trust and customer satisfaction.Strategic Partnerships with Jaguar Land Rover and NissanChery's relationship with the British automotive sector is already established through a strategic partnership with Jaguar Land Rover that began in 2012. The two companies initially collaborated to establish an R&D centre and engine production facility in China. More recently, in June 2024, Jaguar Land Rover licensed its historic Freelander name to Chery for a new range of electric vehicles built on the Chinese group's platform. This agreement led to the unveiling of the Freelander 8, a rugged hybrid SUV expected to compete with the Land Rover Defender, which will be sold through Chery dealerships in Britain from the second half of next year.Furthermore, Chery recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Nissan to manufacture vehicles for UK customers at Nissan's largest car plant in Sunderland. This collaboration highlights the growing role of Chery in the UK manufacturing ecosystem, leveraging existing infrastructure to expand its production capacity. Mr Yin indicated that Chery wants to accelerate discussions with Jaguar Land Rover to understand how it can help the British manufacturer resume its previous volume scales following a significant decline in UK car production.Impact on UK Manufacturing and Future Market DynamicsThe timing of Chery's expansion coincides with a challenging period for traditional British manufacturing, as Jaguar Land Rover experienced a 21 per cent drop in production compared to 2024. Vehicle output in the UK slumped to a 73-year low, driven by higher import tariffs introduced by US President Donald Trump, the suspension of Jaguar production ahead of its all-electric relaunch, and a six-week factory shutdown following a high-profile cyber attack that reportedly cost the British economy £2.1 billion. Jaguar Land Rover also announced plans to cut around 4,000 jobs globally, predominantly in the UK, as part of its recovery strategy.Despite these industry-wide headwinds, Chery remains focused on tailoring its models to British tastes, with hints that its European design headquarters, currently based in Raunheim near Frankfurt, could potentially move to the UK. This commitment to localization, combined with the massive sales success of the Jaecoo 7, suggests that Chery is positioning itself as a permanent and influential player in the British automotive landscape. As the company moves towards designing and engineering its vehicles domestically, the Jaecoo 7 serves as the foundational proof of concept for its wider strategy to integrate deeply into the UK's industrial and economic fabric.